Controlling variables
METAPlan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, recognising and controlling variables where necessary
Mastery Evidence
- Independently plan an investigation identifying the independent, dependent, and controlled variables
- Choose the appropriate type of enquiry for the question (fair test, observation over time, pattern seeking, research)
- Explain why controlling variables is essential for valid results
Assessment Prompt
“Can [child] plan their own experiment from scratch — deciding what to test, what to measure, what to keep the same, and how many times to repeat it?”
Curriculum Standards1 alignment
KS2U.Sci.WS.1The national curriculum in Englandplanning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary
Prerequisites5
- Using evidence to answer questionssoftAges 7—9
- Fair testing (age 8+)hardAges 8—11
- Choosing a StrategysoftAges 9—10
- Fair testinghardAges 7—9
- Planning a TasksoftAges 6—7
Show full prerequisite tree
- Drawing conclusions from evidence hard
Must draw conclusions before identifying patterns and using evidence to support findings
- Teaching It Back soft
Reporting scientific findings in your own words draws directly on the universal self-explanation habit
- Explaining Mathematical Reasoning soft
The universal self-explanation habit (LtL 7-8) builds on the maths-specific practice of explaining reasoning when prompted (MT 6-7)
- Showing Your Working hard
Age 6-7 explaining with diagrams/logic builds on age 5-6 showing and telling with objects
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs soft
Explaining part-part-whole decompositions exercises showing and telling
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Number bonds to 9 soft
Explaining how to find number bonds to 10 exercises showing thinking with objects
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Listening and responding soft
Explaining mathematical reasoning orally requires basic listening and responding skills
- What the equals sign means soft
Determining whether equations are true/false exercises evaluating and justifying
- Reading +, −, and = symbols hard
Deep understanding of = requires already being able to read and write number sentences
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Writing number sentences requires reading and writing numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Reading/writing the + symbol requires understanding what addition means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Reading/writing the − symbol requires understanding what subtraction means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Understanding commutativity of addition requires understanding addition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Thinking Before Starting hard
Explaining in your own words requires connecting new learning to existing knowledge already held in mind
- Persisting When It's Hard hard
Activating prior knowledge requires the foundational habit of persistent engagement with new material
- Classifying living things hard
Must present data before reporting conclusions and making predictions
- Pictograms and tally charts soft
Science data presentation (tables, bar charts) builds on maths pictogram/table skills
- Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard
Constructing pictograms, tally charts, and bar charts requires these display vocabulary terms
- Sorting into categories hard
Constructing pictograms and tally charts requires classifying and counting objects first
- Comparing groups: more or fewer soft
Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities
- Counting objects to 20 soft
Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Counting objects to 20 hard
Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Sorting Data into Categories soft
Data representation formats (pictograms, tally charts) support organising data
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard
Organising and representing data requires data, tally, frequency, and category vocabulary
- Sorting into categories hard
Organising data in categories builds on classifying and counting objects in categories
- Comparing groups: more or fewer soft
Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities
- Counting objects to 20 soft
Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Counting objects to 20 hard
Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Measurable Attributes of Objects soft
Systematic scientific measurement builds on understanding measurable attributes from maths
- Asking Questions soft
Formulating scientific questions builds on the general skill of asking relevant questions to extend understanding, developed in English speaking and listening
- Question Words hard
Generating effective questions requires knowledge of question words (who, what, where, when, why, how)
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Observation vs Interpretation soft
Asking good scientific questions requires noticing the distinction between observation and interpretation — a question like 'why did this happen?' only makes sense once you've separated what you saw from what you inferred
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Noticing the observation/interpretation distinction requires monitoring your own thinking — the universal comprehension-monitoring habit applied to scientific reasoning
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Asking scientific questions is the science-domain expression of the universal comprehension-monitoring habit: noticing what you don't yet understand
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Persisting When It's Hard soft
Scientific enquiry requires persistence through uncertainty — the universal persistence habit underpins willingness to keep investigating
- Asking Questions soft
Formulating scientific questions builds on the general skill of asking relevant questions to extend understanding, developed in English speaking and listening
- Question Words hard
Generating effective questions requires knowledge of question words (who, what, where, when, why, how)
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Observation vs Interpretation soft
Asking good scientific questions requires noticing the distinction between observation and interpretation — a question like 'why did this happen?' only makes sense once you've separated what you saw from what you inferred
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Noticing the observation/interpretation distinction requires monitoring your own thinking — the universal comprehension-monitoring habit applied to scientific reasoning
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Asking scientific questions is the science-domain expression of the universal comprehension-monitoring habit: noticing what you don't yet understand
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Persisting When It's Hard soft
Scientific enquiry requires persistence through uncertainty — the universal persistence habit underpins willingness to keep investigating
- Building Writing Stamina soft
Reporting science findings orally and in writing draws on the non-fiction writing skills (recounts, explanations) established in English
- Expressing Feelings with Words soft
Writing about real events draws on the ability to put feelings into words — the SEL skill of expressing emotions verbally before encoding them in written form
- Triggers and Causes of Feelings soft
Expressing feelings in words benefits from understanding triggers
- Naming Basic Emotions soft
Calming strategies benefit from naming the emotion you're trying to manage
- Words for Big Feelings hard
Calming strategies (calm, breathe, settle) rely on knowing this vocabulary to name and apply the techniques
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
Informative writing requires knowing 'genre', 'audience', 'purpose', and 'detail' as concepts
- Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
- Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise
- Simple Stories with Beginning and Ending hard
Writing about real events builds on narrative writing skills
- Rote counting to 100 soft
Sequencing events in narrative writing draws on the ordinal/sequential thinking developed through counting
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
Writing simple narratives requires 'narrative', 'sequence', 'beginning', 'middle', 'ending' as shared vocabulary
- Expressing & Justifying Opinions soft
Oral expression skills support understanding formality in speech
- Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft
Conversational skills provide foundation for evaluating viewpoints
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
Oral composition requires vocabulary like 'compose', 'sentence', and 'sequence' to participate meaningfully in the exercise
- Writing Process Vocabulary hard
Writing for different purposes requires the vocabulary of purpose, genre, recount, and instruction
- Simple tests and experiments hard
Must do simple tests before setting up formal fair tests with controlled variables
- Asking Questions soft
Formulating scientific questions builds on the general skill of asking relevant questions to extend understanding, developed in English speaking and listening
- Question Words hard
Generating effective questions requires knowledge of question words (who, what, where, when, why, how)
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Observation vs Interpretation soft
Asking good scientific questions requires noticing the distinction between observation and interpretation — a question like 'why did this happen?' only makes sense once you've separated what you saw from what you inferred
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Noticing the observation/interpretation distinction requires monitoring your own thinking — the universal comprehension-monitoring habit applied to scientific reasoning
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Asking scientific questions is the science-domain expression of the universal comprehension-monitoring habit: noticing what you don't yet understand
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Persisting When It's Hard soft
Scientific enquiry requires persistence through uncertainty — the universal persistence habit underpins willingness to keep investigating
- Reading between the lines soft
Using evidence to answer scientific questions mirrors the skill of asking and answering questions about key details in informational texts in English
- Could there be another explanation? soft
Identifying similarities and differences in evidence opens up space for alternative explanations — patterns that differ from expectations prompt the habit of seeking alternatives
- Changing Your Mind with Evidence hard
Actively seeking alternative explanations requires first having the habit of not defending your original interpretation against the evidence
- Observation vs Interpretation hard
Being willing to revise a hypothesis requires first distinguishing observation from interpretation — you can only update your interpretation if you recognise it as separate from the data
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Noticing the observation/interpretation distinction requires monitoring your own thinking — the universal comprehension-monitoring habit applied to scientific reasoning
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Learning from Mistakes soft
Changing your mind when evidence contradicts your prediction is the science form of the universal error-analysis habit — treating surprises as information rather than failures
- Checking Your Own Work soft
Investigating why something was wrong grows from the earlier habit of checking whether an answer seems right
- Trying a New Approach hard
Error analysis requires the habit of trying different approaches — you need to have tried something before you can analyse what went wrong
- Feeling of not understanding hard
Strategy switching is triggered by noticing the current approach isn't working — requires comprehension monitoring
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Planning a Task hard
Switching strategy requires first having made a plan — you can only switch away from something you chose deliberately
- Checking Your Own Work hard
Planning before a task grows from the habit of checking back after finishing — both are self-regulatory bookends
- Understanding Why soft
Asking 'is there another explanation?' is the scientific form of the universal elaborative-interrogation habit
- Teaching It Back hard
Asking 'why does this work?' requires first being able to explain what you know — interrogation builds on explanation
- Explaining Mathematical Reasoning soft
The universal self-explanation habit (LtL 7-8) builds on the maths-specific practice of explaining reasoning when prompted (MT 6-7)
- Showing Your Working hard
Age 6-7 explaining with diagrams/logic builds on age 5-6 showing and telling with objects
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs soft
Explaining part-part-whole decompositions exercises showing and telling
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Number bonds to 9 soft
Explaining how to find number bonds to 10 exercises showing thinking with objects
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Listening and responding soft
Explaining mathematical reasoning orally requires basic listening and responding skills
- What the equals sign means soft
Determining whether equations are true/false exercises evaluating and justifying
- Reading +, −, and = symbols hard
Deep understanding of = requires already being able to read and write number sentences
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Writing number sentences requires reading and writing numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Reading/writing the + symbol requires understanding what addition means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Reading/writing the − symbol requires understanding what subtraction means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Understanding commutativity of addition requires understanding addition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Thinking Before Starting hard
Explaining in your own words requires connecting new learning to existing knowledge already held in mind
- Persisting When It's Hard hard
Activating prior knowledge requires the foundational habit of persistent engagement with new material
- Spotting Patterns soft
Identifying similarities, differences, and changes in scientific data is the science form of the universal pattern-and-structure recognition habit
- Connecting New & Old Ideas soft
Spotting patterns across domains is an extension of the habit of connecting new ideas to existing ones
- Thinking Before Starting hard
Making connections between new and old ideas requires the habit of activating prior knowledge first
- Persisting When It's Hard hard
Activating prior knowledge requires the foundational habit of persistent engagement with new material
- Fair testing (age 8+) hard
Must plan enquiries with variable control before running fair tests on prototypes
- Comparing Possible Solutions hard
Must compare solutions before planning fair tests to improve prototypes
- Simple Design Problems hard
Must define a design problem before generating and comparing multiple solutions
- Comparing Design Solutions hard
Must analyse simple design comparisons before formally defining design problems with criteria/constraints
- Asking scientific questions hard
Must ask questions about problems before modelling design solutions
- Asking Questions soft
Formulating scientific questions builds on the general skill of asking relevant questions to extend understanding, developed in English speaking and listening
- Question Words hard
Generating effective questions requires knowledge of question words (who, what, where, when, why, how)
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Observation vs Interpretation soft
Asking good scientific questions requires noticing the distinction between observation and interpretation — a question like 'why did this happen?' only makes sense once you've separated what you saw from what you inferred
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Noticing the observation/interpretation distinction requires monitoring your own thinking — the universal comprehension-monitoring habit applied to scientific reasoning
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Asking scientific questions is the science-domain expression of the universal comprehension-monitoring habit: noticing what you don't yet understand
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Persisting When It's Hard soft
Scientific enquiry requires persistence through uncertainty — the universal persistence habit underpins willingness to keep investigating
- Asking Questions soft
Formulating scientific questions builds on the general skill of asking relevant questions to extend understanding, developed in English speaking and listening
- Question Words hard
Generating effective questions requires knowledge of question words (who, what, where, when, why, how)
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Observation vs Interpretation soft
Asking good scientific questions requires noticing the distinction between observation and interpretation — a question like 'why did this happen?' only makes sense once you've separated what you saw from what you inferred
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Noticing the observation/interpretation distinction requires monitoring your own thinking — the universal comprehension-monitoring habit applied to scientific reasoning
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Asking scientific questions is the science-domain expression of the universal comprehension-monitoring habit: noticing what you don't yet understand
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Persisting When It's Hard soft
Scientific enquiry requires persistence through uncertainty — the universal persistence habit underpins willingness to keep investigating
- Choosing a Strategy soft
Choosing an enquiry approach and evaluating whether it worked is the science form of the universal strategy-evaluation habit
- Trying a New Approach hard
Evaluating a strategy requires having deliberately chosen and tried different strategies — you need the switching habit first
- Feeling of not understanding hard
Strategy switching is triggered by noticing the current approach isn't working — requires comprehension monitoring
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Planning a Task hard
Switching strategy requires first having made a plan — you can only switch away from something you chose deliberately
- Checking Your Own Work hard
Planning before a task grows from the habit of checking back after finishing — both are self-regulatory bookends
- Guided Multi-Step Problem Solving soft
The LtL strategy evaluation skill (9-10) builds on the early scaffolded habit of checking reasonableness in maths introduced at 6-7
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Evaluating whether a maths solution is reasonable applies the universal comprehension-monitoring habit
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Addition and subtraction within 20 soft
Choosing strategies for adding within 20 requires planning and evaluating approaches
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Planning a Task soft
Planning a mathematical approach is the domain-specific application of the universal task-planning habit
- Checking Your Own Work hard
Planning before a task grows from the habit of checking back after finishing — both are self-regulatory bookends
- Adding and subtracting hard
Word problems to 20 require the procedural ability to add/subtract to 20
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition and subtraction word problems soft
Word problems to 20 extend from word problems within 10 — same problem structures at a higher range
- Representing Addition and Subtraction hard
Solving word problems within 10 requires ability to represent the operations with objects/drawings
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Representing addition with objects/drawings requires understanding what addition means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Representing subtraction with objects/drawings requires understanding what subtraction means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Making Sense of Problems hard
Age 6-7 problem-solving builds directly on age 5-6 problem-sense-making
- Checking Your Own Work soft
Checking whether a maths answer makes sense applies the universal self-checking habit to a mathematical context
- How Many in Total? soft
Problem sense-making at 5-6 requires cardinality understanding to make sense of 'how many' problems
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Listening to Texts Read Aloud soft
Making sense of word problems requires listening comprehension skills
- Addition as combining or putting together two soft
Making sense of addition problems requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Persisting When It's Hard soft
Mathematical perseverance with problems is the domain-specific application of the universal persistence habit
- Multi-Step Problem Solving soft
The LtL strategy evaluation skill (9-10) builds on the maths-specific checking habit developed with teacher support at 7-8
- Trying a New Approach soft
Trying a different mathematical strategy when stuck is the maths-specific application of the universal strategy-switching habit
- Feeling of not understanding hard
Strategy switching is triggered by noticing the current approach isn't working — requires comprehension monitoring
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Planning a Task hard
Switching strategy requires first having made a plan — you can only switch away from something you chose deliberately
- Checking Your Own Work hard
Planning before a task grows from the habit of checking back after finishing — both are self-regulatory bookends
- Building sentences soft
Cross-subject: making sense of multi-step word problems requires understanding that sentences express complete thoughts (reading comprehension foundation)
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Evaluating whether a maths solution is reasonable applies the universal comprehension-monitoring habit
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Addition and subtraction within 20 soft
Choosing strategies for adding within 20 requires planning and evaluating approaches
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Planning a Task soft
Planning a mathematical approach is the domain-specific application of the universal task-planning habit
- Checking Your Own Work hard
Planning before a task grows from the habit of checking back after finishing — both are self-regulatory bookends
- Adding and subtracting hard
Word problems to 20 require the procedural ability to add/subtract to 20
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition and subtraction word problems soft
Word problems to 20 extend from word problems within 10 — same problem structures at a higher range
- Representing Addition and Subtraction hard
Solving word problems within 10 requires ability to represent the operations with objects/drawings
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Representing addition with objects/drawings requires understanding what addition means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Representing subtraction with objects/drawings requires understanding what subtraction means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Making Sense of Problems hard
Age 6-7 problem-solving builds directly on age 5-6 problem-sense-making
- Checking Your Own Work soft
Checking whether a maths answer makes sense applies the universal self-checking habit to a mathematical context
- How Many in Total? soft
Problem sense-making at 5-6 requires cardinality understanding to make sense of 'how many' problems
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Listening to Texts Read Aloud soft
Making sense of word problems requires listening comprehension skills
- Addition as combining or putting together two soft
Making sense of addition problems requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Persisting When It's Hard soft
Mathematical perseverance with problems is the domain-specific application of the universal persistence habit
- Inverse: addition undoes subtraction hard
Using inverse to check answers requires understanding the inverse relationship
- Finding a missing number in addition hard
Inverse relationship builds on understanding subtraction as unknown-addend
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Unknown-addend requires understanding both addition and subtraction
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Subtraction as unknown-addend reframes subtraction conceptually
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition and subtraction within 1000 soft
Estimating and checking applies to three-digit calculations
- The three digits of a three-digit number hard
Three-digit operations require three-digit place-value understanding
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- The two digits of a two-digit number hard
Must understand two-digit place value before extending to hundreds
- A Ten Is Ten Ones hard
Understanding tens and ones place value requires the concept of 10 as a bundle
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- The teen numbers hard
General two-digit place value extends from understanding teen number composition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- A Ten Is Ten Ones hard
Understanding tens and ones place value requires the concept of 10 as a bundle
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- The teen numbers hard
General two-digit place value extends from understanding teen number composition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 100 hard
Adding/subtracting within 1000 extends within-100 skills
- Addition and subtraction within 20 hard
Adding within 100 extends within-20 strategies to larger numbers
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- The two digits of a two-digit number hard
Adding within 100 using PV requires understanding tens and ones
- A Ten Is Ten Ones hard
Understanding tens and ones place value requires the concept of 10 as a bundle
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- The teen numbers hard
General two-digit place value extends from understanding teen number composition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Addition and subtraction within 20 hard
Fluency within 20 requires prior strategy-based adding/subtracting within 20
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 100 hard
Columnar methods require fluent within-100 addition/subtraction
- Addition and subtraction within 20 hard
Adding within 100 extends within-20 strategies to larger numbers
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- The two digits of a two-digit number hard
Adding within 100 using PV requires understanding tens and ones
- A Ten Is Ten Ones hard
Understanding tens and ones place value requires the concept of 10 as a bundle
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- The teen numbers hard
General two-digit place value extends from understanding teen number composition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Addition and subtraction within 20 hard
Fluency within 20 requires prior strategy-based adding/subtracting within 20
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition and subtraction within 1000 hard
Formal columnar methods build on conceptual understanding of composing/decomposing
- The three digits of a three-digit number hard
Three-digit operations require three-digit place-value understanding
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- The two digits of a two-digit number hard
Must understand two-digit place value before extending to hundreds
- A Ten Is Ten Ones hard
Understanding tens and ones place value requires the concept of 10 as a bundle
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- The teen numbers hard
General two-digit place value extends from understanding teen number composition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- A Ten Is Ten Ones hard
Understanding tens and ones place value requires the concept of 10 as a bundle
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- The teen numbers hard
General two-digit place value extends from understanding teen number composition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 100 hard
Adding/subtracting within 1000 extends within-100 skills
- Addition and subtraction within 20 hard
Adding within 100 extends within-20 strategies to larger numbers
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- The two digits of a two-digit number hard
Adding within 100 using PV requires understanding tens and ones
- A Ten Is Ten Ones hard
Understanding tens and ones place value requires the concept of 10 as a bundle
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- The teen numbers hard
General two-digit place value extends from understanding teen number composition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Addition and subtraction within 20 hard
Fluency within 20 requires prior strategy-based adding/subtracting within 20
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 100 hard
Solving word problems within 100 requires fluent computation within 100
- Addition and subtraction within 20 hard
Adding within 100 extends within-20 strategies to larger numbers
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- The two digits of a two-digit number hard
Adding within 100 using PV requires understanding tens and ones
- A Ten Is Ten Ones hard
Understanding tens and ones place value requires the concept of 10 as a bundle
- The teen numbers hard
Understanding 10 as a bundle builds on understanding teen numbers as 'a ten and some ones'
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- The teen numbers hard
General two-digit place value extends from understanding teen number composition
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding tens-and-ones composition requires cardinality — knowing numbers represent quantities
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Reading and writing numbers to 20 hard
Composing/decomposing teen numbers requires reading and writing those numerals
- How Many in Total? hard
Reading/writing numerals 0–20 requires understanding that numerals represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Writing digits 0-9 hard
Writing numerals requires the motor skill of forming digits 0-9 (taught in English handwriting)
- Addition and subtraction within 20 hard
Fluency within 20 requires prior strategy-based adding/subtracting within 20
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Fluent adding and subtracting within 10 hard
Strategies for within-20 calculation build on fluent within-10 knowledge
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Adding and subtracting hard
Word problems to 20 require the procedural ability to add/subtract to 20
- Numbers up to 10 into pairs hard
Making 10 is a specific application of decomposing numbers into pairs
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Decomposing numbers into pairs requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Fluency with addition within 5 requires understanding addition as combining
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Fluency with subtraction within 5 requires understanding subtraction as taking away
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Addition and subtraction word problems soft
Word problems to 20 extend from word problems within 10 — same problem structures at a higher range
- Representing Addition and Subtraction hard
Solving word problems within 10 requires ability to represent the operations with objects/drawings
- Addition as combining or putting together two hard
Representing addition with objects/drawings requires understanding what addition means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding addition as combining groups requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Subtraction as taking away or separating hard
Representing subtraction with objects/drawings requires understanding what subtraction means
- How Many in Total? hard
Understanding subtraction as taking away requires knowing numbers represent quantities (cardinality)
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Learning from Mistakes hard
Evaluating whether a strategy helped requires being able to analyse what went wrong when it didn't
- Checking Your Own Work soft
Investigating why something was wrong grows from the earlier habit of checking whether an answer seems right
- Trying a New Approach hard
Error analysis requires the habit of trying different approaches — you need to have tried something before you can analyse what went wrong
- Feeling of not understanding hard
Strategy switching is triggered by noticing the current approach isn't working — requires comprehension monitoring
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Planning a Task hard
Switching strategy requires first having made a plan — you can only switch away from something you chose deliberately
- Checking Your Own Work hard
Planning before a task grows from the habit of checking back after finishing — both are self-regulatory bookends
- Fair testing hard
Must set up simple fair tests before independently planning enquiries with variable control
- Simple tests and experiments hard
Must do simple tests before setting up formal fair tests with controlled variables
- Asking Questions soft
Formulating scientific questions builds on the general skill of asking relevant questions to extend understanding, developed in English speaking and listening
- Question Words hard
Generating effective questions requires knowledge of question words (who, what, where, when, why, how)
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Observation vs Interpretation soft
Asking good scientific questions requires noticing the distinction between observation and interpretation — a question like 'why did this happen?' only makes sense once you've separated what you saw from what you inferred
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Noticing the observation/interpretation distinction requires monitoring your own thinking — the universal comprehension-monitoring habit applied to scientific reasoning
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Feeling of not understanding soft
Asking scientific questions is the science-domain expression of the universal comprehension-monitoring habit: noticing what you don't yet understand
- Asking for Help hard
Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck
- Persisting When It's Hard soft
Scientific enquiry requires persistence through uncertainty — the universal persistence habit underpins willingness to keep investigating
- Planning a Task soft
Planning a scientific enquiry is the domain-specific application of the universal task-planning habit
- Checking Your Own Work hard
Planning before a task grows from the habit of checking back after finishing — both are self-regulatory bookends
Unlocks2
- Fair testing (age 9+)hardAges 9—11
- Controlling variables (age 11+)hardAges 11—12